Of Cosmos and Cherry Blossoms
by Karen-san
Summary: PG13, Fluff, Shoujo Ai, InoSaku. Sasuke has disappeared to the Sound Country, despite the best efforts of Naruto and the other Genin. Now, Sakura, torn with emotion for her fleeing love, cries alone. Oneshot.


**Of Cosmos and Cherry Blossoms**

The wind flickered across her face as she stared out over the village of Konoha. It tussled her hair, causing golden wisps to filter across her rein of sight. For a long moment she sat, letting the Konoha sun play across her features, looking halfheartedly at the flower in her hand. The violet petals spun as she twirled the stem between her fingers, losing herself in the golden centre. Her lips parted in the slightest hint of a whisper, speaking from her soul…

"Sakura-chan…"

Tears streamed down her face as she ran, ran from something she could no longer avoid. Her pink hair swirled around her face, but she ignored it, eyes clenched against the wind. For how long she ran she didn't know, only that when she finally opened her eyes, she stood in the centre of an lonely garden, framed by cherry trees, in the prime of their bloom. Bitterly she watched the blossoms as they swayed, ever content, ever perfect in form and shape. Despite her name, she shared nothing with the beautiful sakura flowers. She had found no love. The one she had cared for beyond everyone else, beyond even herself, hated her.

"I thought you would change… Sasuke-kun… I thought you cared about me!" She shouted to no one, her voice echoing lightly in her own ears. In despair she dropped into the nearby bench, sobbing, arms wrapped tightly about her legs. _He never cared about any of us…_

The yell was away, hard to even hear, impossible to understand, but the voice behind it tore a piece out of her soul. To think of Sakura in despair was to think of herself in despair. She felt the pain deep in her heart, far from where it could be seen, or healed. Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears as she continued staring at the cosmos, the beautiful flower held tenderly before her. _How long ago was it_? How long since first the feelings began to bud inside her. That day in the field was etched into her memory, a tender moment she would never let go. If only… if only somehow…

"Oi! Ino-chan!" Her head shot up at the voice, a figure waving as it lazily moved towards her. She smiled at the familiar jab of hair peeking over Shikamaru's head, the recognizable way he crossed the wooden bridge to get to her. As usual, his face was more of a bored look than a smile, but she had learnt in their time as teammates that Shikamaru's face rarely showed what he felt. Lazily he sat down beside her, sighing and stretching as if he had just completed a marathon.

For a little while he just looked at her sideways, taking in the flower and her hurt look the way most took in scenery. Finally he yawned, and spoke in his regular slurred voice. "You know, I think Sakura-chan could use a friend right about now." Ino's eyes widened and she looked up hastily. A false smile crossed her face, while on the inside she cringed in pain.

"Hai! But I'm sure somebody will be down there in a second to-"

"You will have to tell her eventually, you know." Shikamaru's arms crossed behind his head, and he stared into the dusk sky. Ino simply stared, her mouth wide open, grasping for something to say. _Shikamaru-kun… how did you…_ The boy grunted and looked at her again. "Don't sit there looking surprised. I've known for… oh, since we graduated the academy." Quickly Ino turned away, diverting her attention to the flower again, trying to appear disinterested in what Shikamaru was saying. He spoke again though, not giving her a moment to gather her thoughts. "What I don't get though, is why you went through all the trouble of getting Sasuke-kun to like you, when really, the only person you want to like you is Sa-"

"Shut up! You baka!" Ino was surprised by the tone of her own voice. Shikamaru took it in stride, having the nerve to give her that satisfied grin of his. It took her a few seconds to realize what it meant. _That's it… he was waiting for me to…_ She realized her hand had tightened around the flower, holding it as if it were her last hope at salvation. For a long moment she stared at Shikamaru in defiance, before finally, she sighed. Shikamaru's face lightened a little, and he surprised her by reaching out and laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. Her eyes randomly wandered the ground, before settling on her feet as she spoke.

"You don't understand… ever since… ever since Sakura-chan was old enough to fall in love, the only person she has wanted has been Sasuke. She never even notices anyone else, whether it be Naruto-kun, or Lee-san, or… or…" Shikamaru merely nodded, sympathy in his eyes if not his face. "I was afraid, that if Sasuke liked Sakura… if Sasuke liked Sakura, she would fall in love with him for real. So I did the only thing I could think of. I thought, if I could just stand between Sakura and Sasuke, then maybe he would find someone else. And then… and then _she_ would notice _me_." All those years throwing insults at Sakura, when really her heart broke with every word, when all she wanted was to reach out and take her "rival"'s hand, to embrace her softly. "But it didn't matter. He never noticed her. But she still cared about him. No matter what, she still waited for him."

Suddenly she realized that Shikamaru's hand had vanished from her shoulder. Her friend was standing, hands in pockets, staring out over the sunset. Unbidden her eyes were drawn to the sakura grove below them. Just barely she could make out the form huddled there, but enough that it sent the same shivers through her that she always felt when looking at Sakura. She felt a hand enclose her own, still tightly grasping the cosmos. Gentle fingers pried apart her own, taking the flower and lifting it from her. She looked up at Shikamaru, his grin wide as he weaved the flower into her hair so that it peaked just over the ear. He stood back as if to admire his work, then spoke.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Ino's face twisted in confusion.

"Nani?"

"Sakura-chan is down there, looking for a friend. Go to her, Ino. Tell her how you feel." He turned around and put his hands back into his pockets. "I think, perhaps, you may be surprised." Then Shikamaru was walking away, leaving Ino to watch, one hand clenched near her heart, the other loosely resting at her side. She stood, waving slightly, fingers brushing the violet petal just intruding the edge of her vision.

"Arigatou, Shikamaru-kun."

The tears finally began to fade as Sakura sat, remembering. All those times that Sasuke had rejected her, all the times that she, blind, had thought that deep down he loved her as well. All the horrors she had witnessed at his hand, all the things he had done, blurred from her judgment by her _love_ for him, what she had thought he would return if only she was there. The despair she had felt, had tried to conceal, when Naruto returned without Sasuke.

_"Sasuke will not be coming back." Kakashi's voice was dark. "He has gone to Orochimaru. Naruto… I was unable to stop him. Naruto barely survived." Sakura's gaze went to the bandaged boy on the hospital bed. He had failed to bring Sasuke back. But he had promised her… no, it was not his fault. He had done what he could. And Lee, too. Lee had gone for her, to bring back Sasuke. Despite the fact that both knew she would never share their feelings. That hurt the most. They had gone for her, and yet she still hardly cared, had asked first after Sasuke before even wondering about the condition of Naruto or Lee._

That memory stung with bitterness. Not only was she not good enough for Sasuke, but she had proven her own stupidity to her friends, to those who cared about her more than Sasuke ever would. And now Naruto was gone, off training with Jiraiya, and Lee with Gai. It left her feeling… alone. She thought back to earlier that day, when Shikamaru had caught her in the street.

_"Chotto matte, Sakura-san!" Sakura spun on her heel, already happy to hear the familiar voice. Shikamaru was one of the few people still around after the incidents. Most of the teams had been sent off on missions, or training themselves with respective teachers. Shikamaru, Chuunin that he was, had been put in charge of administrative duties, a responsibility he claimed was much better than running off into danger. Now he walked lazily towards her, rubbing the side of his neck and complaining under his breath. "Hey, Sakura-chan, I have something to talk to you about."_

_Sakura smiled back at him. "Sure, Shikamaru-kun."_ I really shouldn't be calling him that, now that he's a Chuunin…I He didn't seem to notice, however, as he reached her spot. _He continued walking and she moved to catch up, matching his strolling pace. "What is it."_

_"It's about that Sasuke guy." Sakura missed a step, instantly losing her composure. Shikamaru continued without giving her recovery time. "I was wondering if you were still stuck on him. I think it's unhealthy for you to be thinking about a bad guy like that all day. Besides," he yawned, "its so troublesome to worry about the enemy all the time."_

_"Sasuke is not the enemy!" Sakura raised her voice, rounding on Shikamaru until he stopped, looking slightly surprised. Of course, knowing Shikamaru, that could mean anything. He proved her point by stepping back and starting again in his monotone drawl._

_"Oh, come on. You have to admit it. That Sasuke guy is not coming back." He leaned back against a nearby tree. "You have to realize that he doesn't care about any of us here. Sakura-san, you can't be spending your time hoping for him to come to you. He's dangerous." Sakura gaped, hand outstretched, unable to speak. "Of course, if you want to carry on with that boring nonsense, it's your choice. I just wanted to tell you something."_

_"What?"_

_"There are those in Konoha that care about you far more than he ever will." Sakura took a step back, and Shikamaru levered himself off the tree. He started to walk away, and she shouted after him hands cupped around her mouth._

_"What's that supposed to mean?" The idiot raised a hand over his head, waving goodbye without turning around._

After that, Sakura had begun to think. Shikamaru was right. Everything he had said was right. And so, now, she was here, lost in her tears, in self-pity. _I don't deserve any of those people…_

Ino's sandals made a slight clap as she walked slowly down the street, nearing the opening in the walls that surrounded the garden. Overhead, stray branches of the trees created a shade in the fading light, giving the blossoms a beautiful golden colour. She swallowed deeply. _What if I am doing the wrong thing…_

The clapping stopped as her sandals touched the dirt ground, entering into the grove that had been part of Konoha since it's founding. Her fingers clasped tightly to the stone wall as she peeked around, eyes instantly making out the huddling figure on the lone bench in the centre. Her eyes tightened at the sight of Sakura. She seemed so lonely… so afraid. Her heart yearned to run to the girl, and she found her feet responding, her entire will being poured into simply walking instead. Sakura looked up as she neared; those perfect eyes were smeared with tears, tears that ran down a curved face and over a beautiful mouth and chin. At first she seemed lost for words, but she spoke anyways, letting her instinct speak for itself.

"I thought… you might need someone, Sakura-chan." Sakura sat for a long moment. Ino's heart shattered, and she made the first motion to turn, when slowly, Sakura shifted on the bench, clearing a space just large enough for Ino to sit. She took the offer, finding her emotions raise to her throat until she could not speak at all. Sakura broke the silence, facing away from Ino into the garden of blossoms.

"Ino-chan… so you think… do you think that I am selfish?" The pink-haired girl turned to face her, eyes meeting her own and half lidded in a confused manner. Sakura's mind was in pieces, and as she looked at her friend, she thought she saw… something… there, reflected in her eyes. It was something she had never seen before, but it seemed almost natural. Ino's voice added to it, seeming to draw her deeper into the spell.

"Of course not, Sakura… sometimes, we… we get a little bit confused. That's all. Sometimes, we want something so much, we are willing to do stupid, crazy things to try and make it happen." Ino reached out and lightly took Sakura's hand. L_ike what I tried with Sasuke…_ she continued to stare into Sakura's eyes until the girl looked down, breaking the gaze and leaving the slightest hint of regret in Ino's soul.

Sakura stared down into where Ino held her hand, comforted by the gesture. She felt the pain begin to drift away, but underneath it was more, layers of self-hate and despair that made her cringe. Her fingers tightened around Ino's, and the other girl responded by tightening her own. Sakura spoke quickly now, trying to explain before she burst into tears. "I should have known, though! How could I be so stupid! Of course he wouldn't like me. I'm horrible! I'm a horrible ninja, a horrible friend, I'm… I'm ugly, too!" Suddenly she found herself huddled against Ino, crying into her shoulder. Ino responded awkwardly, first seemingly unsure what to do before finally wrapping her arms lightly around Sakura's back.

It felt good to have Sakura so close. Ino felt the girl's breathing against herself, and found herself holding tighter. "No, Sakura… you're none of those things. Don't let anyone ever tell you you are…" Her body shifted of her own accord. She pushed Sakura away a bit until they were merely holding hands. Ino's free arm reached into her hair, pulling free the violet flower that was still there. She transferred it into her other hand, holding it so that it was in both her hand and Sakura's. "Sakura-chan… do you remember what I said that day in the field?"

Sakura looked down at the flower, and then back into Ino's eyes. Her eyes watered, and she felt her heart twist slightly. "You said that you were a cosmos, and I…" Ino's finger touched her lips, and the other girl was smiling, shaking her head back and forth.

"No.. not that…" Ino's heart fluttered, and her body felt weak, but she knew what to do. With a deft motion, she reached into the overhanging branch and plucked a blossom. It was perfectly formed, petals expanding outwards around a beautiful centre. Gently she lowered the sakura until it joined the cosmos, resting side by side in their hands. She moved forward until their faces were only separated by an inch of air, to where she could feel Sakura's breath play across her face.

"Sakura, you have blossomed into a flower far more beautiful than the cosmos." Sakura had one fleeting moment to understand what she was feeling, to understand the emotion that was coursing through her body, before she felt lips press against hers. She fell into the kiss naturally, raising her hand to brush her fingers against Ino's face. She felt a feeling unlike any she had ever felt before. A feeling that Sasuke had only caused in drops compared to the torrential flow she felt now. She felt… she felt…

Love.

Far away from the cherry tree grove, leaning back on his favourite bench, Shikamaru stared into the clouds that were fading with the sunlight. His vision was disrupted slightly as two flower petals flew, spiraling in the wind, one the palest pink and the other the deepest purple. A small smirk crossed his lips as the petals disappeared into the sky above.

"About time."


End file.
